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June 13, 2019 • APG News A5
Region Safety Council, said he has a “pas-
sion for safety.” He said 5% of the working
population works in construction, and con-
struction is responsible for 20% of all work-
place fatalities.
“That’s the spark that gets me fired up,”
Madaras said.
He told the audience safety is using
“common sense.” The accident prevention
process includes recognizing the hazard,
understanding the hazard and controlling the
hazard, he said.
According to Madaras, the three main
challenges to safety are comfort, conve-
nience and expediency. He said many people
engage in risky behavior every day by driv-
ing distracted.
“Before you do something, you just take
a couple of seconds, take a deep breath and
look at it, look at the danger and think about
it,” he said.
WorkshopsThe event included safety-focused work-
shops with topics like boating and bicycling
safety, tick awareness and ergonomics.
In one room, attendees were asked to
identify safety hazards in an office envi-
ronment. Anont Koonkongsatian, an occu-
pational safety specialist with the CECOM
Software Engineering Center, said it’s impor-
tant to inform the workforce about what safe-
ty specialists do on a daily basis.
“A day like today to reinforce our mission
is great is because we’re doing it proactively,
not reactively,” he said.
Darrell Gregg, chief of staff for the Pro-
gram Executive Office Command, Control,
Communications-Tactical, said he’ll take les-
sons learned from the day to ensure the work-
force is safe.
“An organization has to reinforce the
importance of safety so leadership needs to be
present,” he said. “If we’re not out here learn-
ing what to look for, how can we hold our
folks accountable in doing the right thing?”
Another room contained informational dis-
plays from several organizations including the
APG Army Wellness Center, which had mate-
rial about sun safety, heat protection and food
safety. The center also presented a class, “Be
Fit as you Sit,” which focused on activities for
people with desk jobs.
“Going into summertime, people like to
get beach ready,” said Lowrell Bellard, an
AWC health educator. “We’re helping those
people reach those goals safely and in a
healthy way.”
Nancy Vause, an audiologist, with the
Army Public Health Center’s Army Hear-
ing Program, and Melissa Webster, an APHC
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
intern, conducted hearing protection fit-test-
ing, which determines how effective a hear-
ing protection device is for an individual when
worn correctly.
“Noise-induced hearing loss is the number
one occupational disability,” Vause said. “It is
generally painless, progressive over time, is
permanent and is preventable.”
Maryland Department of Transportation
demonstrators set up a motorcycle simulator
outside the training facility. The simulator is
designed to help new and experienced riders
improve hazard perception and road manage-
ment skills.
Curtis Phillips of CECOM, a self-described
novice rider, said he found the simulator “real-
istic.” He added that he came to safety day
for pointers for when he’s out with his friends
who have motorcycles and boats. He also
learned CPR techniques for the first time.
“I just want to know the precautions I can
take so everything goes well,“ he said.
Matt Smith, a representative of 3M Fall
Protection presented a demonstration on falls.
Smith said falls are the number one cause of
death in construction. The demonstration uses
a weight to show will happen in a fall.
“A lot of people who are out there exposed
to fall hazards just don’t really think about
what kind of forces they generate in a fall,” he
said. “The demonstration shows how critical
it is to wear the harness properly and use the
proper equipment.”
SAFETYContinued from Page
Curtis Phillips, of the Communications-Electronics Command, uses a motorcycle simulator during the APG Safety Day June 5, 2019.
Photo by Jon Bleiweis, APG News
Melissa Webster, an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education intern sup-porting the U.S. Army Public Health Center’s Army Hearing Program, conducts hearing protection fit-testing on an attendee during APG Safety Day at the Mallette Training Facility June 5, 2019. This test determines how effective a hearing protection device is for an individual when worn correctly.
Courtesy photo
land website, at www.somd.org, “the mis-
sion of Special Olympics is to provide
year-round sports training and athletic com-
petition in a variety of Olympic-type sports
for persons eight years of age and older
with intellectual disabilities, giving them
continuing opportunities to develop phys-
ical fitness, demonstrate courage, expe-
rience joy and participate in a sharing of
gifts, skills and friendship with their fam-
ilies, other Special Olympics athletes, and
the community.”
“The Special Olympics community
is grateful to the officers from around
the world who raise awareness and funds
through the Law Enforcement Torch Run
(LETR) for Special Olympics,” the site
states.
While the Torch Run has historical-
ly been all about awareness, through law
enforcement outreach, this year the SOMD
opened up participation to military person-
nel and civilians who wished to support the
effort.
Before the runners moved out as a group
on the run that wound through Havre de
Grace and then traveled along Route 40 to
the Baltimore County line, they received
send offs from law enforcement leaders.
Havre de Grace Police Chief Teresa Wal-
ter said it appeared to be the largest gath-
ering ever for the annual run the city has
supported “for many, many years.”
“On behalf of the Havre de Grace Police
Department and Mayor Bill Martin, thank
you very much for coming out and support-
ing us,” she said.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler
added his thanks for all the work and coor-
dination that went into the venture as well as
for the runners’ enthusiasm.
“We’re glad to see so many runners on a
beautiful, perfect morning,” he said. “All of
you have fun, but don’t overdo it. Be safe
and enjoy yourselves today.”
Lt. Charles “Chuck” Rykiel, traffic sec-
tion commander, coordinated the APG
Police Department runners.
The SOMD games were played June 7-9
at Towson University.
Lt. Charles “Chuck” Rykiel, far left, poses for a group photo with the team of APG police officers and a family member who participated in the 2019 Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics of Maryland near the Susquehanna Lock House Museum in Havre de Grace, June 4, 2019.
Photo by Yvonne Johnson, APG News
TORCHContinued from Page A1
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